By Binta Jaiteh
Government-sponsored Gambian students studying in China have raised an alarm over the risk of deportation and termination of their studies due to unpaid tuition fees.
According to a statement obtained by this medium from the Gambian Students in China (GSIC), several beneficiaries of Gambian government scholarship programmes are facing possible expulsion from their respective institutions after tuition arrears remained unsettled, despite repeated appeals to the relevant authorities.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Gambian Embassy in China, the association said progress has been limited, attributing the situation to what it described as insufficient attention from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST).
“While GSIC deeply appreciates the efforts of the Gambian Embassy in China to support and resolve this matter, the unresolved tuition arrears continue to place many students in precarious situations, including the termination of their studies and possible deportation,” the statement said.
The association further disclosed that over the past several months, multiple letters were sent to both the Gambian Embassy in Beijing and MoHERST, but without any concrete outcome.
It added that in September 2024, GSIC representatives met President Adama Barrow during his visit to Beijing, in the presence of the Minister of Finance, to highlight the urgency of the situation. This engagement was followed by a meeting with the former Permanent Secretary of MoHERST, during which the matter was again raised.
“Despite these high-level engagements and repeated follow-ups, no definitive resolution has been achieved,” the statement noted.
GSIC also revealed that sustained efforts were made to engage the embassy through official correspondence and telephone calls, while a designated focal point at MoHERST was contacted repeatedly. In addition, a GSIC member conducted physical follow-ups in The Gambia, yet the outstanding tuition fees remain unpaid.
The situation has now reached a critical stage, with affected students reportedly receiving final notices from their respective institutions on January 8, 2026. The notices warned that their studies would be terminated if the outstanding fees were not settled by January 10, 2026.
GSIC said it has once again urgently contacted the Gambian Embassy in Beijing, appealing for swift intervention to avert what it described as a dire outcome.
The association urged the government to take immediate and decisive action, warning that failure to do so would not only disrupt individual academic careers but also undermine the credibility of government-sponsored scholarship programmes.